Free Write to a Free Life

Free Write to a Free Life 

This online group is open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a writer. The writing technique we will be practicing sparks great creativity, and it can help you discover new things about yourself and create exciting possibilities for your writing and your life outside the group. It's also a fantastic way to connect with other creatives and build community.  

Here's how the group is structured: I will give the group writing prompts, and we will all spend 7 to 10 minutes writing as fast as possible without editing. After that, you can share what you wrote or not; it's entirely up to you. The group will then have a chance to comment on your work — if anyone so chooses. The only rule is that the comments should all be positive — this is not a writing critique group and negative comments erode the sense of safety we're all aiming for. Feedback from the group can range from sharing how the writing made them feel to whether they liked a particular sentence, word, image, or how your piece was structured. Commentary can include pretty much anything as long as it is positive. After doing this type of writing for close to 30 years, I can say with certainty that what you learn from the group's feedback can be priceless — you will feel heard and supported in ways you would have never imagined, and often what you thought was terrible writing actually inspires someone. Also, if you'd rather not have people comment on your piece at all, that's an option. Just let the group know. 

Trigger warning: I do not believe in censoring people's self-expression. We are using stream of consciousness where anything can pop up to the surface. Sometimes people write about their experiences with sexuality, substances abuse, etc. Sometimes we write about very mundane things, like the best coffee you ever had. You just never know. If you feel this type of sharing will be too triggering, you might think twice about joining the group. And, of course, if you choose to write about a sensitive topic, you never have to share it with the group. 

Why join this group? 

Here are some reasons why spending time with us is a fabulous idea.

• You want community. Writing is often a lonely business, and we need each other. I intentionally encourage group members to support each other during group meetings and meet outside the group to form closer connections. Of course, you'll never be asked to help anyone or meet with anyone. That's strictly voluntary. Do it or not, as you're moved to (or not).
• You want to connect with others in a safe way. First, you never have to read your work aloud; you can share parts of your piece, give a general summary, or say nothing. Be aware that while reading your unedited work out loud can feel terrifying to some, I pride myself on creating an environment where it's safe to share literally anything. Many, if not most people who join my group have never read their work out loud to anyone, and they are scared to do so, which is entirely understandable. But in my experience, if you go to my group more than a couple of times, no matter how resistant you are, you will mysteriously find yourself reading at least some of what you have written. After attending a few group sessions, I have never had a single person who could not read their work to the group.